The North (Closed)

[heartofcourage]

Fiona’s head jerked as she was attacked by the invisible force, dazed as the elder dragon gave back to her what she had given to Markos. She shook her head to clear it, listening as he explained that she could either deal with him or the executioner.

“Ask your questions then, Caller.” She muttered.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll get to the real questions so we can be done..." Markos sighed. "The Northern Alliance and the Empire together, what kind of numbers does Samuel Ghis command? Navy from the Triad as well. And how many dragons?"

He turned to face the tools given to him by the warden, laying the pliers aside. "A rough estimate will do..."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was quiet for a long moment as she was asked that question. Images of Sam flashed into her mind and she knew that she couldn’t betray him. Not that he would blame her if she did, but she held his confidence and she couldn’t betray that.

“More than you know.” She murmured, staring up at the ceiling of her cell. “With more coming from parts unknown. Royer is well and truly fucked.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not good enough..." Markos muttered, as if lamenting what he had been asked to do. His next choice was an iron nail, to be driven between the bones in her hand. And several others would follow, along with deep, painful cuts into her flesh, carefully placed so not to bleed her out. Eventually Markos gave up on his "gentler" methods and walked away, leaving her to the mercy of the executioner. By evening, Fiona had endured a rack, being half-drowned, and several broken fingers before she was tossed onto her cell cot for the night. No food nor water was left for her, and she was left in pitch blackness.

Sometime during the night as it seemed Markos had gone to sleep, the wall blocking Fiona from reaching out to anyone else began to relax. Kept awake by pain and guards occasionally passing and rattling the bars to disrupt and exhaust her further, Fiona began to feel a presence slowly wrap around her. It was titantic and familiar, but it took a while to fully recognize as Schaller. He'd been searching for any sign of her presence for hours. He couldn't speak to her from afar, but their deep connection allowed him to offer comfort to dull the pain.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona trembled in pain, huddled on her cot as she cradled her broken hand close to her chest. She closed her eyes against the agony, centering herself and proud of the knowledge that she hadn’t given anything up against her husband. She’d most likely pay in the morning when Royer found out, but she was proud of herself.

When she felt Schaller, she melted into his presence. Anything familiar made her want to weep, but she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of her tears. They didn’t deserve them.

Riley found herself unable to sleep with her mother missing and had given herself the task of patrolling camp. When she saw Schaller sitting like a great white cat with his head held high and his eyes closed, she knew that he most likely had made a connection. Gently, Riley touched his scales, lending him her own strength if he needed it.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Riley touched Schaller, she could feel a faint tremble through his body. In the moonlight, she caught the glint of tears rolling down his face as he felt what his partner had been put through. She'd never seen the great dragon weep for anyone save Fiona, and even then he'd only wept openly once before when she'd nearly died after being shot. Feeling Riley's hand, he instantly curled in around her and held her gently to his chest, his great maw pressed against her side. He didn't need to explain what he was feeling for Riley to know something terrible was happening to Fiona.

"I would tear that castle down in a moment if she called, Kate's plans be damned," he finally murmured. "Castles can be rebuilt... but there is only one Fiona Blackstone."

 

[heartofcourage]

“But you can feel her. That’s what is most important.” Riley said softly as the elder dragon curled around her and held her close. “Soma and I have been trying all day.”

Riley leaned her head against Schaller’s maw, hugging him as tightly as she could. “I’ll let Da know in a little while. I’m sure he’s still up.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Samuel is going to tear a bloody swathe through Scotland to get to her," Schaller murmured. "And I'm sure most of the family is of a similar mind." He closed his eyes once more, offering any strength he could to his partner to help her rest and resist Royer's cruelty. "Brogan and his brothers have put their all into bringing down the weapons behind the wall so we can break through... It won't be long before Soma looses Sam into Scotland itself." It wasn't clear if he was talking to Riley, himself, or trying to tell Fiona that to keep her spirits up.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Are you alright to fight?” Riley asked him, knowing that the connection between a rider and a dragon could cause a dragon to make rash decisions.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've been a warrior all my life, little kit. I know how to separate my emotions from battle when necessary," he assured her quietly. "My greatest concern is that this Caller... this Markos, as Blair has told us, will interrupt."

When he finally uncurled, he nuzzled against her one last time and lowered a horn to her. "I'll take you to your father. I'd like to get an update myself on how things are going."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley rode the short distance to her father’s tent, slipping down when they arrived. She entered and noticed that he hadn’t lit his lanterns yet, eerie shadows cast around the space that he normally shared with her mother.

“Da?” Riley called, peeking into his sleeping area.

 

[KieranSoares]

As Riley glanced into the dim, she could make out the shape of her father sitting alone on the edge of his cot, head in his hands. His normally well-cared-for armor was cast carelessly aside in a pile, but Fiona's gear that Ezra had brought back had been carefully cleaned and placed on its stand, waiting for her to return. It seemed Sam had been made to go to bed after missing a night of sleep, and someone had left a plate of venison and potatoes for him, but it was untouched. At his feet lay several written reports, likely dropped there when his worry and grief became too great. Sam was known to the entire clan as the patriarch, the one who could persevere and push through anything for the sake of his family. But with his soulmate in mortal danger and the way forward now twisted and unclear. If he pushed on, Fiona could be killed. If he didn't, he would fail the entire Northern Alliance's two-decade dream of returning home.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley quietly entered the sleeping area and picked up pieces of his armor, putting them away neatly. “Schaller wants to speak with you. He’s outside waiting.” She said softly. “He has news about Ma.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"If it's just t'tell me she's alive, I already know," Sam murmured in the darkness. "Royer'll keep 'er alive til her death serves a purpose." Hauling himself to his feet, he seemed to realize how dark it was finally. He found a small lantern and lit it with a match, the light showing his grave expression and deep shadows under his eyes. He still had the presence of mind to pull his daughter in close, hugging her tightly for a long moment like he was afraid to lose her too. "I love you, little kit," he nearly whispered.

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley returned her father’s embrace, letting him hold her as long as he liked. “I’ll sleep here with you tonight. I think it’ll do you some good.”

She kissed his cheek and looped her arm through his own, escorting him out to see Schaller.

 

[KieranSoares]

As the two emerged, Schaller leaned his head down to their level. Sam extended his free arm, placing a hand on his maw. "What's going on with her, old friend?" Sam asked quietly.

"It's grim, Samuel... she's been blocked from us all day, but she's just now been able to reach out again. They're... torturing her, Sam. But she's alive, and it seems she hasn't given anything away." Schaller pressed gently into Sam's hand, and closed his eyes as Sam's forehead came to rest against his cheek. "I know it's not what you want to hear. But take comfort in the fact that she hasn't been broken yet. It will take so much more than the physical to break her. Knowing her father is safe will keep her going."

"He's no' doin' well," Sam murmured. "An' knowin' she traded herself for him isn't helping."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Leave Uka to Nora. She’ll take care of him.” Riley said with every confidence in the wolf. “She’s barely left his side since he was brought back to camp.”

“Ma doesn’t need any of us losing our heads over her. She needs us well rested and cunning.” Riley insisted as Sam sagged against Schaller. “That means eating and rest.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"For Samuel and I, all we can do right now is wait," Schaller explained softly. "Wait, and hope the Axemen and the task forces can clear the way for us. But she's right, Sam," he encouraged the lost man gently. "Soma has confidence that Durban's men will destroy enough weapons tonight for an aerial attack at dawn. If that's the case, we'll need you."

"I'm not useless yet," Sam insisted quietly. "And I won't be until she's safe or I'm dead."

"Go. I will offer her all the aid I can to keep her strong." Schaller nodded to Riley then. "You'll find, little Fox, that the men of this family are rather useless when our partners are gone." He managed a hint of a smile. "Your father may be the Commander, but your mother is the heart of the alliance."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley looked over at her father, seeing him struggle and knowing that he was lost and hurting. “I’ll have Andre make you something. Stay with Schaller for a while. When I come back, you’ll eat and get some sleep.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam didn't have the energy to protest, simply settling there with Schaller and trying to pull himself together. He always managed to do so when it mattered, but until he was able to fight or help, he was lost in worry. Schaller did his best to stay out of the way of the rest of the camp, curling up to comfort Sam and focus on Fiona.

By the time Riley got Sam settled and Andre let them be, the camp was nearly silent awaiting news from the front. And come dawn, the entire camp came to life as messengers ran through telling everyone to prepare for an attack. In the night, Soma had joined Durban's side to oversee the hit-and-run missions, and dawn had brought a report from Kell's agents that over half the anti-dragon weapons had been disabled, enough that Soma was willing to risk sending a few brave volunteers to rain fire down on the wall. Just as Sam and Riley were beginning to wake at the commotion, distant explosions marked both cannonfire and the destruction of powder stores. A bugle sounded over the Northern Alliance's camp to call everyone to prepare as their opening arrived. They had to take the opportunity fast, or risk the rebels having a chance to re-barricade. Whistles of the Riders sounded a muster, calling them all to Ezra in place of Fiona.

Sam was up and out of bed quickly, stirred out of melancholy for a moment by his chance to be useful. He was pulling on his armor in seconds, knowing he needed to join Soma as soon as possible. "Riley," he said quickly to her. "On your way to Ezra, check in on Schaller an' if he's fit to fight, send him to Soma."

 

[heartofcourage]

Riley gave a nod to her father as she finished putting on her own armor. She was the first out of the tent, on her way to Schaller to see if he was able to act that morning without her mother in the saddle. The first thing that Riley noticed was that he was ridged and silent, different from how she had left him the night before.

"Schaller?" Riley asked him, gently touching his scales to get his attention. "Schaller, what's wrong?"

 

[KieranSoares]

When Schaller's great green eyes opened, they seemed dull and he looked a little unsteady. Slowly, he lowered himself from his sitting position to lay down, like he was worried he'd fall over.

"I lost her. Another Elder... Ripped our connection apart," he spoke haltingly, even drunkenly. Now that Riley had pulled him back to the present, it was like the other dragon's influence was seeping onto him like poison. She had seen and felt the mental battles of Callers firsthand, but never between Elders. Even Dzana at her most vicious hadn't attacked another dragon.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just rest." Riley murmured, glancing over towards Ezra and seeing the rest of the riders gathering for orders. "I'm not going anywhere."

While she had constantly butted heads with Schaller since she was old enough to walk and talk, she could see that his condition was dire. He needed her mother, but hopefully having her would be a poor substitute that would get him through the worst of it.

"Push him out, Schaller. You have to push the other dragon out." Riley coached him, stroking his maw as he lay there so listlessly. "Push him out because she needs you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not submitting, my love," he reassured her softly. "Just give me a while to gather my strength. It's been a long few days." He let his head rest on the ground and he looked at her. "You don't need to look after me, Riley. There's much more important work to be done. I will join when I can."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Let them start this battle. You and I will fly in together.” Riley responded, knowing that he needed someone there for him even if he was too stubborn to see it. “We can do it together for Ma.”